Frozen Family 2
by reallysmallworld
Summary: The obviously named sequel to Frozen Family is finally here! The family is back and seemingly better than ever. Elsa's secret is out, Anna has a stable relationship, and Jack has finally dealt with his past and has a (hopefully) permanent family, but what happens when Rapunzel's past rears its ugly head? Can the family's bonds survive?
1. Chapter 1: Rebuilding

**Elsa**

"Elsa!" a voice suddenly whispered into my ear, drawing me out of the wonderful dream I had been having. Darn, I was finally starting to get used to those. Stubbornly, I kept my eyes shut as a hand lightly shook my shoulder. "Come on, Elsa! Everyone's asleep!"

"Including me," I mumbled. "Go back to bed, Anna." I pushed my sister away half-heartedly and pulled the blankets up over my head. This didn't discourage her in the slightest. It never did. She climbed on top of my bed and started jumping up and down, trying to push me out.

"You know I can't!" she whined, tugging on the sheets. I tugged back, causing her to slip and fall off of the mattress. I flinched at the loud _thump_ as she hit the floor, but I still refused to get up. Anna would be fine. She was pretty durable even without powers. She was also very persistent, and before I could try covering my face with the pillows, her face was already in front of mine, grinning in such a way that made her look years younger than she really was. "Do you want to build a snowman?"

I sighed, opened my eyes, and smiled. There would just be no getting rid of her, not that I minded, of course. I threw off my blankets and tip-toed barefoot across our room, Anna having to cover her mouth to contain her squeal of excitement. We shared a room again, now that there was no fear of me freezing her in my sleep. There was really only one downside to our new living arrangements, and those were the late nights we spent together. Some things you just couldn't grow out of, and sneaking out in the middle of the night to play in the snow was one of those things. We wouldn't be going outside, of course; it was actually only late September. Our play always took place in the ballroom.

With a wave of my hand, my magic shot up into the air, exploding into millions of tiny snowflakes that drifted down on top of our heads. We would always spend minutes catching them on our tongues before I stepped hard on the polished floor, making it gleam brighter with a coat of ice. Anna slipped and fell, as always, and I provided her with some skates made out of ice, as well. She stood up shakily, took a wobbly step closer to me, and fell again. I tried to teach her, but she never was the best at skating. Neither was I, really, but I didn't need skates to glide across the ice. Like I did every night, I would change into something a bit more comfortable.

Starting from my feet up, my magic swirled around me, covering up my blue nightgown with sparkling ice and snow, changing it into a dress more beautiful than any I had ever owned. Shoes of perfect, clear ice, a floor length skirt and bodice made of snowflakes, and sleeves and a cape formed entirely of frost. Anna clapped her hands in delight. We both preferred it when I wore my Snow Queen dress, even though lately, I had been experimenting with some different styles. Despite the darker origins of the dress, it would always be my favorite.

We skated around until we got tired of that, and we finally set to work on our snowman. Sure, I could just simply create one with a simple gesture, but I found it far more rewarding when Anna and I took the time to roll the pieces up together. The snowmen always ended up smaller than we would have liked and maybe a bit more crude, but we sat in front of it and admired it all the same, arms around each other's shoulders. The point of it all was that we were together again, and nothing would ever stop that. Not even that mean old Pitch black.

To be perfectly honest, I was waiting for him to come back. I wanted my shot at revenge for how he had taken advantage of me during a weaker time in my life, which was hard to believe had only been a few months ago. Things were so different now. I didn't have to hide anymore. I just had to love. I just had to love my subjects, my sister, and my parents. It kept the curse from taking over my life again.

I stood up and stretched, running my fingers through my wild hair to smooth it back into place only for it to fall back as a snowball hit me on the side of the head. I turned to Anna, who was standing now as well, whistling nonchalantly, and I grinned mischievously. In my hands, a snowball bigger than both of us formed, and she ran squealing with delight while I chased after her. It must have been quite a sight. She slipped on the ice every five seconds, and I wasn't the most graceful while running in a dress and heels. Suddenly, we both heard a laugh, stopping us dead in our tracks.

Anna was hit by a snowball first, causing her to fall back into a snowdrift, and before I could dodge, I was nailed as well, which unfortunately caused me to release my massive snowball. It fell in an overwhelming pile over me and Anna, leaving only our heads sticking out to cough, sputter, and laugh. Dad had caught us. Again. He stood against the frame of the ballroom's double doors, staff over his shoulder. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked, raising a teasing eyebrow. We both knew that he really didn't mind us staying up so late to play with my powers, but he would always joke that dealing with us tired in the morning was never any fun.

"I told you so," I said to Anna, clearing the snow off of me magically. She stuck her tongue out at me, earning her another snowball in the face from me.

"Alright, you two. Just clean up this mess and go to bed before you wake anyone else." We both groaned dramatically but did what he said. There had once been a time when he would have to clean everything up by himself. I hadn't had enough control over my abilities to help with the mess, and I'd usually just make it worse. Now, when I waved my arms, the snow and ice would all fly back up, one snowflake at a time, collecting at some point in the air that I chose, and it would dissipate into nothing again, leaving the ballroom as pristine as it had been before. Although personally, I thought it looked better with an ice decoration or two. It almost reminded me of my ice palace.

Once or twice, I had thought about returning to the top of the mountain for just a visit, but ever since my, ah, incident, I had been far too busy to make the trip without any transportation magic of my own, and besides, I had partially destroyed it after that one time I got mad at Anna. It would take a while to rebuild, even with better control over my powers, and the rebuilding of the kingdom took priority. I still had a lot of forgiveness to earn for the homes that had taken a toll from my storms.

Anna and I hugged Dad goodnight and obediently travelled back up to our room. I'd had enough playtime anyway. It was time to go to sleep for some peaceful rest.

Funny. There had once been a time that I resented going to sleep.

The ice dress melted off of me once I passed through our bedroom door, and I immediately curled up in my bed. Anna still wasn't quite ready to do the same. "Come on, Elsa! We could still play in here!" she insisted, but as she shook my shoulder this time, I could feel how cold her fingers were, and I shivered involuntarily, not that the cold ever bothered me. I just knew that Anna had had enough of my magic for one night. A dark memory passed through my mind, one where I clung to Anna for dear life, her body frozen, cold, and lifeless. I shook it off with her hand and closed my eyes for a more pleasant dream.

"If Dad catches us again, he'll go and fetch Sandy," I warned. This stopped her. We both knew how powerful the Sandman could be when he wanted and that no matter where you were or what you were doing, he could knock you out in a wink. Both of us had woken up before in painful positions, cramped and sore in the morning from laying on cold, hard surfaces for a night. We also both knew that Dad could have carried us back to our room if he wanted, but I think I left us just to get the message across.

Finally, Anna left me alone to my dreams of more precious images. The refreshing wind in my face, Anna, my mother and I all braiding each others hair with...interesting results, and overall good feelings of fun and wonder.

**Anna**

The sun rising over the Arendelle mountains to shine down upon the kingdom of Corona is quite a sight to see.

Or so I've been told.

I was not, nor would I ever be a morning person. A loud knock finally woke me up late in the morning, and I sat straight up, eyes still closed. I wouldn't be able to see out of them anyway with my wild hair flying about my face the way that it always did. Elsa entered the room, bright and cheerful, having been awake for probably hours before me. "Good morning," she chirped. "Nice bedhead."

I finally rubbed my eyes into wakefulness and pushed my hair back to see. Elsa opened the window to the courtyard, taking in a deep breath of the fresh morning air. I squinted at the sunlight until my tired eyes adjusted, and I saw that she was already dressed, wearing an old, blue dress with a jacket that I remembered her being fond of when we were little. Every time she grew out of it, she had another one just like it made. Her hair hung in its customary braid with any loose strands swept back perfectly. I looked at my own tangled rats' nest of hair and frowned. Hair did not have a right to be that perfect.

"Goo' mornin'," I slurred with a yawn. Elsa laughed.

"If you hurry and get dressed, you might have time to eat brunch with us," she told me. "Then, I was thinking of maybe going out for a while."

I perked up. "Like...out of town?" I asked hopefully. Personally, even though I enjoyed the freedom of now being able to wander the kingdom, I really longed for some new scenery. I could still remember seeing new parts of the world while flying with Dad. It was all so big and so bright! I wanted to explore it all! But at this point, I would just be happy to visit the old ice palace.

"No. Just out of the castle," she answered. I shrugged, expecting her answer. She had promised that she would take me up for an actual tour eventually, but for the moment, she always refused. I wondered why, but since I was just happy with having my sister back all of the time, I didn't try to push her on the few secrets she still kept. Everyone had a few, like my hidden stash of chocolate. Speaking of... "If you go with me, we might make time to stop for chocolate."

"There's always time to stop for chocolate," I teased. "You don't have to make time."

"True," she agreed. "So, are you coming?"

"Definitely." I leapt out of bed, grabbing my casual green dress and boots on my way to the bathroom. After fighting with my hair for a good twenty minutes (the usual morning routine), I made it downstairs as everyone was sitting down to an elaborate brunch. My father Jack Frost, technically the king but nobody knew, always took the head of the table. To his right sat Queen Rapunzel, my mother, her exquisite long hair hanging loose and free, which informed me that she planned on staying inside all day to work. For convenience, she always wore it in a thick braid to go out so that it wouldn't get caught on anything. Across from her sat Elsa, who smiled when she saw that I truly was awake.

I took my seat next to Mother, frowning slightly when I saw that the seat across from me was empty. We usually saved that seat for Kristoff whenever he felt like coming in for meals, but he was busy, and I understood. He would always make time for me when he got back.

I liked coming down for meals now. At a time, it had just been me and Mother sitting in awkward silence next to each other. Elsa would always stay in her room and have meals brought to her (usually by me), and I couldn't see Dad back then. On mornings like these, we were one, strange, happy family.

Elsa was good on her word, and we went out to town right after brunch. It still took some getting used to, though, seeing the sun bounce off of her light hair and ivory skin. It was a sight that I had never thought that I would see in my lifetime. That, or Elsa playing with children. We were favorites throughout the kingdom, the two lovely royal sisters. I loved playing with the kids, despite their parents protesting how they shouldn't bother the princesses. We didn't mind, and I would even offer to babysit my favorites. The kids ran to Elsa for her ice powers, enjoying them just as much as I did. Unfortunately, Elsa made it a point to not use her powers freely throughout the kingdom.

That day, I noticed how she was fidgeting with a pair of white gloves. I frowned. "You don't need them, Elsa. You're not going to hurt anyone," I assured her.

She smiled warmly in response. "I know that, Anna. You know that. But some people don't," she whispered, pointing over to a passer-by who happened to pass by a little faster upon seeing her. I looked around us for similar situations, seeing some parents who appeared to hug their children a little closer or people who shrunk away from their windows slightly. "I wear them just to make other people comfortable." I nodded in understanding as she chose to change the subject. "Where's Kristoff today?"

"Probably halfway up the mountain. He takes his job very seriously."

"So I've heard. Speaking of serious, you two have gotten pretty close, right?" she said with a knowing smile.

I nudged her gently, blushing. "Yeah."

"I mean, Dad hasn't even freaked out in a week or so." We laughed, both of us knowing how over-protective our Father could get, whether it was over my love life or Elsa's powers.

"Oh, he has. You just weren't there a few times. Just last week, we were...heh, never mind." I distracted myself by fiddling with one of my braids.

"Aw, come on. You can tell me."

One look from her told me that I wasn't getting out of this one. She would find out one way or another. "Well, we met in the stables to feed Sven, and we were, well, talking over some pretty serious stuff, and Dad flew right on in when we kissed; he was probably listening the entire time. He told me it was bed-time, and I think he stayed after to bug Kristoff some more when I left. It's been pretty awkward ever since." It was true. Kristoff almost seemed to be avoiding me at times, and when we did see each other, it was usually only a quick conversation and a peck on the cheek.

"Dad will cool down eventually," she joked. "I wonder what they talked about."

"You and me both."

"What did you two talk about?"

I bit my lip, not wanting to say too much. "Oh, you know...stuff."

"Like...marriage and stuff?"

My mouth dropped. "How did you-?"

"Like I said, you two are getting pretty serious. Anyone can see it. He's the one, isn't he?"

I smiled. Elsa always seemed to get me, even when we hadn't known each other for years. "Yeah," I replied. Elsa grinned and almost hugged me. Almost. While physical contact was never a problem for us anymore, she tried to act just a bit more refined out in town. Good impressions and all that. "But we don't want to rush anything. We've talked about the possibility once or twice, but it's not like we're planning anything anytime soon."

"That's good." The conversation seemed to stall. I had grown quiet to think, and Elsa respected that, but after a while, the silence became only a tad awkward, and both of us searched for something to break it. "Oh, look! Chocolate!" Elsa pointed out, taking my hand and leading me over to the line by our favorite stand. Even through the glove, I could feel how cold her hand was, but it didn't really bother me anymore.

Chocolate. Kristoff. A complete family.

My life couldn't get any better.

**(Yay! Here's the sequel for everyone who asked for it! Special thanks goes to acts29forchrist, who helped me so much with getting ideas together for this story and who created the cover art for both this and the original. The challenge here was actually creating a story while the original is just a reimagining of the movie, and I just can't wait to type up all that I've got planned! So go out and buy the Frozen DVD, reread the original fanfic if you have to, and get ready to read and review.)**


	2. Chapter 2: May I Have This Dance?

**Jack**

I spent the day inside, helping Rapunzel with paperwork and distracting her more often than not. I hated paperwork. I absolutely hated it. But it had to be done. Ever since Corona had opened its gates to all other kingdoms, we had received letter after letter, scroll after scroll, and peace treaty after peace treaty. It got a little more than annoying at times.

"We've got another request for a royal representative to visit," Rapunzel told me, offering me a sheet of parchment that I didn't care to take. She set it down on her desk instead.

"From where this time?"

"Dun'Broch."

"Well, add them to the waiting list," I sighed, not really paying attention. In my boredom, I had been lazily tossing a snowball up and down and hadn't really bothered to focus on anything else.

"Jack," she scolded. I turned mid-toss to concentrate on her, allowing the snowball to come crashing down on my head, which earned me a tired laugh from Rapunzel. Anything to cheer her up. There was nothing like her sunny smile to brighten my day. "We better add Dun'Broch to the top of the list. They're not often very peaceful."

"All of these peace negotiations are throwing a wrench in all of our family bonding plans. Who are we going to send? I was going to take the girls on a little vacation. You know, show them the world a little bit, and someone needs to stay behind to watch over the kingdom. It's not like we can leave any visiting dignitaries in charge or anything."

"Of course not," she agreed. We both fell silent for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. "Why don't you just take Anna for now, and leave Elsa with me?" Rapunzel offered. "Elsa needs to practice some of her queenly duties anyway, and visiting a foreign kingdom as a representative could be just the practice she needs."

"Won't she think that it's a little unfair that she's being left behind?"

"It will only be this once. You can take her later during the Winter months. She won't mind, but you have to take Anna now before it gets too cold for her to be out flying with you."

I nodded. "I guess that makes sense."

"Besides, I'll keep her so busy that she won't even notice."

I started out the door. "I should probably go tell the girls."

"Wait, Jack," she told me before I could disappear down the hall. "Maybe you should wait until after dinner? I want to make sure everyone's full and content before we give them the news. They may or may not be a little aggravated by it." By 'they,' I assumed she meant Elsa, but before I could point out how well she had been doing with her powers lately, Rapunzel added, "the girls have been inseparable lately, and I don't think they'll be too happy about us splitting them up for the first time since - well, you know."

"Got it. Hazelnut soup for dinner?"

"Naturally!" she replied, smiling and standing up.

"Chocolate cake for dessert?"

"Their favorite! I'll get started right away."

"And I'll go ahead and get them." With that, I raced off towards the ballroom where I knew they'd be. It was time for their afternoon etiquette lessons, and knowing how they absolutely hated them, they would be extremely relieved to be dismissed.

They were practicing a waltz when I entered. Elsa was paired with the instructor while Anna danced with Kristoff, who had come back down from the mountain after a long, hard day of ice harvesting not an hour before. Rapunzel and I had convinced him to join in on these lessons as the consort of a princess. I suspected that he might even hate them more than Elsa and Anna did, but it was necessary if he was going to be seen publicly with my daughter. At least, he was willing to try.

Watching him dance, though, was a cringe-worthy sight, but Anna wasn't much better, to be perfectly honest. They each seemed to take turns stomping on one another's feet. Elsa wasn't much better off. It was quite obvious that her proximity greatly unnerved the instructor, knowing very well what she was capable of, and he, who was skilled beyond compare in the art of dance, often forgot to lead, leaving Elsa to pick up the slack. His uneasiness had also spread to her. I could tell by the rigidity of her posture and gritted teeth. In recent months, she had grown to loathe people being nervous around her; it made her more nervous about herself.

I delayed announcing my presence for a moment just to bask in the awkwardness of the lesson. One pair stumbled across the floor while the other jerked about stiffly. If this was how they always danced, I feared for the next royal ball. I cleared my throat, catching Elsa's attention, and she immediately, yet politely slipped her hands out of the instructor's and dismissed him. A "yes, your highness" later, both princesses sighed and slouched in relief. Kristoff, on the other hand, appeared mortified, either from the fact that someone had actually witnessed him dancing or that I had just watched him waltz my daughter to the death. I knew I made him a bit nervous at times - such is my job as an overprotective father, but really, was I that frightening?

A part of me wanted to smile at that, but the other part knew how hard Anna could hit when she was upset. I probably should talk to Kristoff again. No hard feelings between us meant no problems for me and the daughter I'd only watched grow up from the sidelines.

"I really can't stand dancing," Elsa moaned, pulling off her gloves one finger at a time.

"Aw, come on." Anna rolled her eyes. "You practically ooze grace. I, on the other hand-"

"Anna, I slip on my own ice," Elsa said flatly, cutting her sister off short. They both laughed at this.

"Better hurry to the dining hall. Your mother's making hazelnut soup tonight," I told them, delighting in the smiles that grew on their faces.

Anna turned to Kristoff. "Are you going to come eat with us?"

Her eagerness, her hunger for his presence only appeared to unnerve him, and he tried to mimic her smile, but she was not fooled, and neither was Elsa, who watched the two of them carefully while glancing pointedly over to me. "Actually, I need to go check on Sven. It was a hard day. I might come in later tonight." Anna's face fell, and so did her sister's, for they so often shared each other's emotions.

"Oh, okay," Anna said, her cheery voice sounding strained. It almost hurt to listen to it. She pecked him on the cheek. "I'll see you later, I guess." Kristoff left. Anna watched him go, and I watched Anna, wanting to fly out of there but frozen to the spot. Anna sighed, and her shoulders slumped slightly. Elsa frowned at me before moving to cheer up her sister.

"I'll race you to the dining hall," she said. With that, Elsa began taking slow, graceful steps past me and down the hallway. Behind her, unable to see her sister's mischievous grin, Anna giggled and sprinted after her.

"You're on!" she yelled as she passed Elsa easily, but she hadn't gotten two steps beyond her before the floor beneath her feet formed a slick layer of ice. Anna fell hard enough to make me wince, but she still laughed. Elsa, with an all-too-innocent whistle, waltzed by her collapsed sister, rubbing it in with her painfully slow pace. Anna, either too determined or too dumb to know any better, got back up and tried again with the exact same results, and this continued all the way to the dinner table. In the end, Elsa let Anna win.

The mood only improved more and more after homemade hazelnut soup and fat slices of chocolate cake. There was slurping and choking on bites that were too big; there was no decorum in this meal. It was just a night for fun, one of the few that we got every once in a while now that most of our evenings were spent dining with and entertaining foreign dignitaries. The castle was empty just this once, except for our little family.

Stomachs stuffed and eyelids drooping, the laughter died down to a simple murmur. Now that they were content, it was time for me to break the news to them. At least, that's what Rapunzel's sharp elbow seemed to be telling me. I really didn't want to ruin their good mood. I would rather spoil them, coddle them, let their happiness shine like precious jewels, but there was a time and a place for everything, and even gemstones needed to be packed away for a while. I didn't stand to announce it in some kingly way. Instead, I leaned towards the girls and casually said, "Anna, I need you to pack your things tomorrow. We'll be leaving for a vacation the next day."

Both the girls stared at me with eyes bigger than the plates before them that they had been licking the last of the frosting off of. Anna spoke first. "Really?"

"What?" cried a shocked Elsa. "Weren't we all going?"

Rapunzel spoke up. "Elsa, the thing is, I need you here right now. There's a whole lot of work that has to be done. Anna would stay, too, but if we wait too long, it will be too cold for her to fly. You will still go on a trip with your father, but you can wait. You can stand the Winter weather."

Elsa nodded, appearing to take it well, but a second later, she excused herself and hastily exited the room. Anna ran after her, leaving me and Rapunzel alone in the dining hall. "I think she took that rather well," Rapunzel remarked after the door slam's echoes died away.

**Kristoff**

It was a chilly night for September, but it was bearable. I figured ahead of time that I would be sleeping in the stables next to Sven. I didn't really feel like staying in the castle. I felt locked in a gilded cage every time I walked the high arched halls, and besides, it was too warm. I wasn't used to so much warmth. I was used to pitching tents high on a mountain during Winter storms. It was bitterly cold and lonesome, but I was used to it.

Castle life was very different from what I was used to. I was suddenly expected to be _someone_, not _no one, _but being no one was all that I knew how to do, and I had never been fond of trying something new. My whole life was about ice, and harvesting the ice was all about routine and rhythm. I remembered being little and hearing the other harvesters sing songs and work to their beat. Meanwhile, I would work for my meager share of the harvest and for the most part was ignored by the others. I was no one, and I worked to stay that way.

Suddenly becoming someone required a lot of work, or so Anna's dad - the freaking king! - told me. I suddenly had to be liked. I had to walk the right way, talk the right way, and even eat the right way, or mine and Anna's relationship was doomed. In the presence of others, I had to be well-groomed and well-mannered, but when I was alone, I ripped off the frills and shared a carrot with Sven, looking and acting the way I always had, like a nobody, but I couldn't go back to being a nobody. I was jealous of the nobodies now, when once I had wished for nothing more than an end to my loneliness, because nobodies had it easy. Everybody else didn't care about them, and so nobodies didn't have a care in the world!

I couldn't be a nobody ever again, though, because once you're somebody, people start caring about you, and you are forced to care back, even when you're alone and acting like a nobody. Even then, cares would buzz through my mind, and I would vent them to Sven.

"Why am I still doing this?" I wondered. "I just don't know anymore, buddy."

_We could always quit._

"No. People would know. We would never get any business ever again, not to mention Anna's dad would probably freeze me solid." Don't get me wrong, I liked Jack a lot. I thought he was pretty cool, no pun intended, but the pressure I was already under only seemed to increase when he was around. Was it because he was king? Or maybe because he was an all-powerful winter spirit? Either way, because of the pressure he brought, I harbored a hint of dislike for him.

Just then, the stable door creaked open, allowing a gust of the cool night air to wash over me. When I looked, I saw that Anna had come to visit. As per my new habit, I immediately straightened my back upon seeing her. She closed the doors and shuffled over to me. She sat down beside me without a word, not looking at me, focusing all of her attention on the A's that were embroidered into her boots. We sat there for the longest while, stiff-backed, the most formal couple you had ever seen, as people expected us to be.

I knew I should say something - anything! - but Anna spoke first. "I'm going to be leaving soon," she murmured so low that I had to ask her to repeat it once.

"Where?"

"Everywhere. Dad's taking me on a vacation. Without Elsa." She played with her right braid, the one that had once had a platinum streak running through it but was now completely red. When Anna's love had melted the ice in her own heart, it had disappeared.

"Wow. I guess this will be the first time you guys will be apart since...well, you know."

Anna shrugged. "Yeah, but it will be the first time I've been apart from you, too." She dropped her braid and sighed, releasing all of her tension and looking up at me with her big, innocent eyes, eyes that were blue like the ocean that I could sink into and be lost forever. "Kristoff, is something wrong? You can tell me, you know. Is it anything that Dad said, or did I say anything? I just want things to be okay between us, and it feels like you've been avoiding me lately."

"No!" I assured her immediately, repeatedly, taking her hand in my own. "It's just stress, Anna. Honest. I've just never had to work so hard. Harvesting ice and learning basic formality is enough to wear anyone out. I'm just tired is all."

She seemed greatly reassured, more from my casual touch than anything because that's what was natural. It didn't require us to sit stiff-backed next to each other, or to dance perfectly together, or to even eat politely together. In response, Anna hugged me without a care and kissed me on the cheek. "I'm glad! Kristoff, I love you, and I just don't want you to start shutting me out, okay? Never do that."

Despite the fact that I hadn't told her the complete truth, I nodded. "I promise I won't. I love you." And I kissed her. I meant every word, even though I didn't say much, and I never wanted to leave her. I never wanted to lose her. I didn't wake her up when she curled up beside me and dozed off. I held her, watching ever-so-carefully the braid that had once been partly white. I loved her so, so much.

If I had to be _someone_, I could be someone for her.

**Jack**

It was very, very late. Rapunzel had gone to bed hours ago, and I hadn't seen the girls since dinner. I didn't feel like sleeping. There was too much on my mind.

Was it wrong for me to worry so much about Elsa? I had spent thirteen years worrying, and it had become habit. I knew in my heart that I could trust her, that she was a very smart girl and could handle herself with grace and dignity, but my mind had to remind me that this same girl had frozen half the world in an emotional fit, caused in part by me. I shouldn't worry, yet I did.

A blue light flashed from the ballroom. Odd. The girls never usually tried sneaking out twice in a row. I peeked through the partially open door and saw only Elsa. She stood in the middle of the hall in her infamous "snow queen" dress, and I watched as she focused on a certain spot on the wall and threw a blast of magic at it. It was off-center by a few inches, but where it hit exploded into deadly icicles. I stole in quietly, careful not to disturb her, but the wind that carried me must have brushed the back of her neck because in an instant, the point of an one of those icicles was aimed directly at my throat as Elsa whirled around, eyes wild. She relaxed and lowered her hand when she saw it was me. "What are you doing up?" she asked.

"I was about to ask you the same question. Where's Anna?"

"She's fine. Handling a few things before you leave, I think."

"What about you? Are you fine with this?"

Elsa pushed back a lock of hair and adjusted her braid so that it hung over her left shoulder, the way she liked it. She stood straight and tall and maybe a little stiff, but this was just her nature, the way she had been raised. Truly, she was relaxed. When she answered "yes," I believed it.

"What are you doing here, then, if you aren't playing with Anna?" I inquired.

"Practicing," she replied.

"Why would you need to practice? You have great control over your magic."

"Yes, but it's not perfect. I need to practice." Yes, I knew Elsa could be a bit of a perfectionist at times - her hair had to be just-so, her dress had to be smooth, her books must be in order - but the sigh she gave afterward hinted at something she hid.

"Elsa, what's wrong? Why are you practicing so hard?"

Elsa inhaled deeply. "I practice in case Pitch comes back," she admitted.

"Really?" I tried to pat her on the shoulder, but she shifted away. "You don't have to worry about him anymore. We can take him, the two of us and the Guardians. You don't have to be-"

"Don't say 'afraid!' I'm not afraid!" she snapped. "I don't worry about him coming back; I want him to come back! I want him to pay for what he did to me! That's why I practice. I practice because I _hate_ him! I hate him! I hate him!" She stomped and threw her arms about, and while doing this, an accidental icy blast of magic escaped her and froze the thrones at the end of the room. Elsa's eyes grew wide, and she stared in horror down at her betraying hands.

She clenched them into fists and beat them against her forehead lightly. "No! No! No! Conceal. Don't feel. Conceal. Don't-" she began before realizing her error. She blinked and breathed, and in a much calmer voice she chanted, "Love. Love. Love. Love." Waving her arms gently, the ice and snow in the room completely dissolved, and she gave a small smile and allowed me to place a hand on her shoulder.

"You're fine, see? Just don't think about it anymore." She nodded.

"It's just so hard sometimes, thinking about what I've done. I want to be ready so that it never happens again."

"It won't. You're fine. Even as a queen-in-training, you can afford to loosen up a little. Speaking of which, you certainly had an...interesting dance lesson today."

"I make people nervous." Elsa shrugged and folded her hands, left over right.

"Here. How about I give you a proper dance?" I slammed my staff into the ground, and the floor became ice. Elsa laughed and brought her arms upward, and ice patterns traveled up the columns to the ceiling, and it began to snow in the ballroom. I took her hands, and we danced as father and daughter, an activity we had never done together before now. Before now, we had been close, but she had guarded her heart with a wall of ice, and now she allowed herself to love her family, to hold others close to her, and to allow herself to be held close by others.

**(Yay for fluff! Aaaaaand...that's all I really have to say about this chapter. I should let all of you wonderful readers and reviewers know that if you were extremely pleased with my excessive updating on the original Frozen Family, you're probably going to hate me a little over the course of this story. Yeah, I'm kind of trying to work on some other things right now, so updates may be a little crazy. Please review!)**


	3. Chapter 3: Watching And Waiting

**Hans**

I hadn't noticed her at first, but her presence slowly came to my attention, starting with an eerie chill down my spine that caused me to turn around. Then, I saw her. I didn't know how long she had been standing there, or rather, crouching. Her trembling figure was so hunched over that it could hardly be called standing. I might have glanced over at her while passing, but this was the first time I truly acknowledged her. I couldn't tell if she was watching me. The hood of her dark cloak concealed all but her thin mouth.

I shrugged and moved on, riding past where she stood at the palace gates. It was just some beggar woman looking for handouts from a prince, I thought.

I had always been slow to truly get a grasp on things, though. The last in everything, actually. I was last to be served dinner that night, last to be shown the letter from Corona, a small kingdom just North of ours, and worst of all, I was last in line for my throne, which of course, in the eyes of both my parents and my twelve older brothers, this made my royal studies less of a priority, freeing up my time to visit insignificant kingdoms for trade negotiations. Naturally, I was nominated to visit Corona, much to my chagrin. Ironically, though, in my present situation, I would have done anything just to get out of the kingdom that I doted upon so much but could never rule, not without suspicion of foul play, at least.

Just like how things were always slow in coming my way, I didn't understand this strange woman's presence until the very last minute.

I rode through town the very next day, planning to head to the docks and check with the captain of my ship. She was there, waiting on me, I think. The black opening of her hood followed me as I passed by her at the castle gates, and I had to suppress a shudder at the strange sight of an almost empty cloak watching me. She was surely watching me, now. The night before, the opening of the hood had faced downward, in respect, I had thought, or maybe just in ignorance of my presence, but now I knew I had her attention, somehow.

She was still there when I came back that afternoon. The hood looked up at me again as I approached, and though I tried not to, I looked back down at it out of curiosity. The fading daylight made it impossible to see her face, but I caught a few details of her cloak. It was faded and worn, but a hint of a golden trim glinted in the last rays of the sun, adorning what had once been a very rich, black fabric but was now torn and tattered at the edges. That was all I saw before the gates closed behind me, except for maybe a strange nod from the figure, as if she was approving of something.

It was clear to me then that this was no beggar woman.

I rode past her the very next morning. She was still in the same place. She nodded again, and maybe I nodded back before heading out to the ship.

The streets of the town were being decorated that day. One of my brothers - I had long ago stopped keeping up with who was which - had recently gotten engaged to a princess in a land far, far away from ours. _Good riddance_, I would have thought if I hadn't been so jealous of him. The princess' father was very sick; we all knew this. He would be ascending to the throne almost as soon as he and his bride arrived in the kingdom. I was never more happy to be missing a ceremony. I planned to be in Corona for a very, very long time, now that I was being forced to.

I purposefully hurried back, wondering if maybe she was there only at a certain time. The sun had only just started its descent, and for an early fall day in the Southern Isles, it was sweltering. The woman was still there, and to my surprise, she moved, but only after I had past. I had only just caught it after the gates closed behind me. I was tempted to look back, but some voice of reason told me not to. I didn't listen and glanced over my shoulder, just barely glimpsing the movement. The woman had glided from the side of the gates so that she now stood directly in front of them, watching me. I shuddered and trotted just a little faster towards the stables.

Later that night, after yet another unsatisfying dinner, I found myself looking out over the balcony that I shared with three of my brothers, but they were all asleep, so I finally had it to myself. There was no moon that night, but I could see the courtyard clearly in the palace lights. Just outside of their reach, though, stood the cloaked figure. Had she really not moved since then? Had she stood there in the dusty road, in the scorching sun all day long in that heavy cloak? I left the balcony and closed the doors behind me because I thought I had seen her look up at me, and despite the warm night, I felt a chill.

I didn't leave the castle the next day. I was too busy packing my things for Corona, but early in the morning, I walked out to the courtyard and right up to the gates where the woman still stood. She did not move when I came up to her. I thought it odd, though, that despite our proximity, I still could not see all of her face, only her thin, white lips. "You have my attention," I told her. "What do you want with me?" The woman said nothing. She only smiled and shook her head. I waited a little while after that, but seeing that I would be getting nowhere with her, I huffed and stormed off to handle some other things.

I returned that night, though, not wanting to be stared at through the shadows anymore. For once, she was not there. I blinked several times, wondering if she had even been there in the first place. Could it all have been a dream, a mirage in the hot autumn sun, a hallucination? Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I whirled around, hand on my sword. The woman stood in the courtyard, an oddly glowing lantern in hand. "How did you-?"

She held up a finger for me to be quiet, and though I had no real reason to, I obeyed. She brought the lantern up to her face so that I could see it for the first time. She was an old woman, very old. In fact, she seemed almost skeletal. The dress she wore hung off of her in the most unattractive way, and frizzy, gray-white curls fell around bulbous eyes. Her fingers were so thin that I wondered how they could even grip the strange lantern. (There was no flame in it, as far as I could tell, and it glistened a sour green.) "You're heading to Corona," she rasped.

I nodded. "What do you-?"

She snapped in my face, stunning me into silence. "There are two princesses there and one queen."

"I know this, but I don't understand what you wa-!"

"Shhh! And put down that sword. I _need _your help. The queen there - she and I have some unfinished business."

"I don't understand what that has to do with me."

"Shut up already! I need you to take care of the princesses."

"Excuse me, but I'm there for diplomacy, not treason."

"I didn't say you would have to kill anybody, did I?"

"No, but-"

"The sisters are very close at the moment. I'm sure you've heard the story of the resident 'Snow Queen?'"

"Naturally." The summer blizzard, supposedly caused by the eldest princess, had become legend, even reaching down to the Southern Isles.

"Get between the two of them. I'm sure you can figure out how. You can be very charming when you need to be. That's good."

"I still don't under-"

"I'm offering you an easy way to the throne, you idiot! You pair yourself off with one of the princesses, alienate the other, and I'll handle the queen." With her free hand, the woman withdrew something large from her cloak and threw it at my feet. I didn't look down at it just yet, for she was reaching forward at that same, bony hand. "Do we have a deal?"

This was wrong. If she was somehow caught, I could be arrested - killed, even! - for treason, but I looked down at the object in front of me. This was what I really wanted. I smiled and shook her hand, never more glad that I was wearing gloves. Her hand felt cold even through their fabric. "I don't even know your name," I said.

"Gothel."

On the ground between us lay the king's crown of Corona.

**(There! Are you happy now? I expected you'd be unhappy with my slow updating, but seriously, language? I have a life outside of you people! Rant, rant, etc. It's a short chapter, I know, but it'll have to do, for now. I warned you guys that I couldn't work as fast on this one. I have schoolwork and athletics. I fell on my face last week. Well, enjoy this and just imagine the trouble that Gothel has in store. Review - NICELY! Update: I'm really not mad. Sorry if I sounded mean. Swearing just gets on my nerves a little. I'm actually really flattered everyone likes the story, and I laughed more than anything when I saw the update soon review because I realized how long it actually had been. I love you all! ;D)**


	4. Chapter 4: Missing Anna

**Elsa**

We congregated in the courtyard for Anna's departure. Normally, this kind of seeing-off ceremony would have been done at the docks, but Anna wasn't leaving by ship, and her flying off on some invisible force would look strange to a lot of people, especially after my little incident over the summer. Yeah, that's just what the kingdom needs. _Another_ witchcraft scare.

It was early in the morning. Early enough that no one would be awake to watch Anna, early enough that Kristoff had no excuse to wander off to work just yet, and early enough that the frost patterns I made across the lawn in her honor wouldn't look too out of place.

Anna came outside, stumbling down the steps and rubbing her eyes. Mother came right behind her, her long hair tied in a thick braid to keep it from dragging too badly on the ground. I suspected that she had braided Anna's hair, too. Anna didn't look awake enough to have done it herself. Anna sauntered up to me, still trying to work the clasp on her cloak with tired fingers. "The sky no' awake yet," she yawned in explanation, pointing lazily up at the still-dark sky. I chuckled.

"Well, you better open your eyes, or you're not going to get to see my surprises," I teased. She blinked at me a while until she was able to stare at me with clear eyes.

"Surprises?"

"Yeah, watch! I've been practicing." Dad flew out and landed, giving me a knowing look as he caught the last of what I said. I gave him a barely noticeable shake of the head. This actually had nothing to do with that. I took Anna's hands and led her over to the two fountains in the courtyard. Raising one arm and then the other, the fountains on each side of me suddenly froze over into elegant formations. Anna clapped her hands in delight.

"It's beautiful!" Anna threw her arms around me, and I embraced her back like I had longed to all these years. "Wow," Anna breathed, reluctantly pulling away. "I'll miss watching you do your magic over the next few weeks."

"You'll have Dad," I reminded her.

"Yeah, but you have your own style, I guess. You made an entire castle out of ice, for goodness sakes! By the way, when exactly am I going to get a tour?"

"I don't know." I really didn't. I still hadn't told Anna what had become of my palace in the mountains. I guess I was still too ashamed of the reason why it had ended up in such a state. I had hit a low point, and I just couldn't bear to tell my sister how much I had hated her in that one moment, that one moment that shattered the walls and stirred up the worst of the storms. "Maybe when you get back."

Anna smiled and walked over to where Kristoff stood, eying our father. I watched painfully as they said very stiff goodbyes, hardly getting close to each other. They definitely weren't close enough for the goodbye kiss that we all knew they wanted to share, but they were too scared of seeming inappropriate with all of the etiquette they'd had to learn together. To ease some of their tension, I made my way over to Dad and elbowed him. When he turned to scold me, I grabbed his elbow and yanked him around so that his back was to the pair. Mother joined us a second later.

"You really need to talk to him," I said. Mother nodded.

"I know. I know," he groaned with a roll of his eyes. Mother chuckled and kissed him lightly on the cheek, at which point I politely moved away.

Now, don't look at me like that. Just because everybody else had someone didn't mean that I was desperate to be loved. I had all the love I needed, thank you very much, and all the love I could deal with after barring myself from it for so long.

When I turned back around, I saw Anna mouthing thanks to me while Mother and Father talked. She squeezed Kristoff's hand one last time before coming over to hug me again. "We've not been apart this long since, well, you know," she murmured. I winced. I really didn't want to think about that. Anna had been my lifeline, the one bit of love that I could cling to in some (but not all) of my worst times. Even when we were separated by a door, I heard her every day, either calling my name or simply passing by. She remembered my birthdays and would bring me presents, and before that, she would knock on my door every time it snowed, asking, "Do you wanna build a snowman?" over and over and over. Yes, we were separated, but we had never truly been apart, both of us locked in the same prison, until now, that is.

Freedom does come at a cost.

"No matter where you are, I know that you're coming back," I told her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she returned.

It was Mother's turn. She danced over and kissed Anna on the forehead. "Promise me you'll be safe."

"I promise."

"I love you very much."

"I love you more," Anna countered.

"I wouldn't bet on that." Mother blinked and frowned suddenly at something, but that something was gone before I could even tell what it was, and she smiled again.

We all waved goodbye to Anna as she climbed on Dad's back. She had nothing with her except the clothes on her back. Arrangements had been made for their stay up at the North Pole. I would never admit it, but I was slightly jealous. Anna was already going out in a big adventure, and here I was, standing in the same castle courtyard with gates that had once shut me in. Before they took off, though, we were all able to share a laugh as Dad remarked, "What's wrong with my style of magic?" Anna didn't get a chance to answer before they were lost in the sky.

Kristoff turned to me as they flew farther and farther off, still just barely in sight. "Didn't you say that you had more than one surprise for Anna?"

I nodded. "Uh-huh. Now, come on!" I motioned for him to follow, but knowing what was probably going on after a previous experience, he stayed put. Mother had to grab his arm and drag him along after me. Some might say that it was too informal for a queen, but again, no one was around to see. I ran through the empty cobblestone streets with Mother and Kristoff right on my heels until we came to the fjord. Without hesitation, I ran right out onto it, conjuring a layer of ice with my foot that kept me from going for an involuntary swim. The rest of the party slipped a little behind, but we all reached the center of the body of water without too many injuries. Dad and Anna were just overhead.

I moved my hands around each other, and a snowball levitated between them. With a great effort, I cast it up into the sky so that it even flew above Anna and Dad, where it burst into a brief shower of snowflakes. We all waved up at the pair, and I could have sworn that I heard Anna's laugh from where I stood.

And then she was gone. The sky grew quiet like the rest of the town. Kristoff said his goodbyes and headed off to work, and I walked back to the castle with Mother, where she had me work on some paperwork with her silently. Even though we were sitting far from the sitting room, closed up inside the suffocating study, I could have sworn that I heard the old grandfather clock ticking and tocking all morning long. At one point, it got so loud in my head that I couldn't hear the shuffle of papers or the entrance of Gerda bringing us lunch. It was omnipresent, as if it existed solely to remind me of the absence of Anna's voice.

The next few weeks were going to be long.

Just after midday, while I finished composing a letter to Dun'Broc to announce my arrival in a short while for negotiations, Mother cleared her throat, setting down a stack of papers. Her eyes seemed weary from reading constantly (mine probably looked the same), but they still held their unnatural youth. Really, she could almost be my sister. I missed Anna. "Would you like to go out?" she asked.

I signed my name in neat cursive and looked up at her, blinking away the bleariness. She smiled warmly, and I noticed her braid again. She only wore her hair that way when planning a day out in the town. I really should have expected the question before, but I grinned happily at the sudden suggestion, anyway. "Of course," I said, my voice weak from disuse. At this time of day, I would have already had to yell at Anna to wake up, speak with her over meals, and argue with her over who got the last piece of chocolate (at which point Dad would snatch it when we weren't looking, split it in two, and give the bigger part to Mother).

I requested that Gerda bring me my coat and gloves for our afternoon out, but Mother asked for nothing at all. In fact, she strolled out into the town barefoot and free, running to each stand and each house to greet the people there, introducing them to me as long-time friends. I nodded my head at each, keeping my back straight and my gloved hands clasped tightly in front of me where I could see them, and even exchanged a few pleasantries. Many would eye me warily, but I tried to disregard their coldness. Mother stayed warm, standing between my forced, frozen smile and theirs.

The children caught sight of us, of course, and despite their parents' protests, they ran up to us in a swarm, all jumping around their precious Queen and Princess. Mother was just as popular with them as Anna. They brought her their chalk, and she led them over to the town square, where they assisted her in drawing the emblem of Corona on the cobblestones, surrounded by drawings of beautiful, purple flowers. I did not help. The gloves I wore were white, and the chalk would stain them, so I stood and clapped for them, burning in my coat underneath the scorching Autumn sun.

A tired little girl with braided red hair (_Don't think about Anna. Don't. Don't!)_ approached me after a while, wiping sweat from her brow and consequentially smearing purple chalk across her forehead. "I like your hair," she said simply, taking a seat on the small wall next to me. She pointed to it, letting her finger trace in the air how it swept back over my head, sticking out in elegant and almost impossible angles.

I smiled at her. Was my smile as warm as Mother's? "Do you want to know a secret?" The girl bobbed her head over-enthusiastically. "I actually have to freeze it a little to keep it like this," I whispered, pressing a finger to my lips. Actually, my hair probably looked like a mess. The sun had melted the glittering frost that dusted my hair long ago, and I habitually ran my fingers through it, only to remember with a jolt that I was wearing gloves.

"With your powers?" the girl exclaimed, her jaw nearly hitting the ground. I gave a slight nod. "I wanna see! I wanna see!" I bit my lip nervously. Was that okay? Would her parents allow it? I saw her bright eyes, a perfect blue (_Don't!)_, and realized that it wouldn't matter just this once. A little magic couldn't hurt. I slowly pulled off my gloves and set them down on the wall. Opening my palm to the sky, I conjured a few snowflakes in a burst of light. The girl's eyes shone like the sun. "Again! Again!"

Her excitement caught the attention of the other children, who wandered over to view my magic, leaving Mother to finish the mural alone, not that she minded. She was positively beaming. My smile grew like hers, and I wiped the last beads of sweat from my brow, turning them to icy pearls that I tossed aside like my jacket and a few of my cares, leaving my full arms exposed, save for the puffed sleeves at my shoulders. I ran my bare fingers through my loose locks of hair, feeling my magic cool my scalp. I summoned more magic this time, letting loose a burst of snowflakes that spiraled towards the sky. I think I was just as amazed at the beauty of the ice in the sun as the children, but a few parents were less than amused, hurrying forward to snatch away their children from the malevolent Snow Queen, or so they thought.

Mother came forward and grabbed these people by the arms, encouraging them to dance with her in the street to the sound of some nearby performers, and who were they to challenge their Queen? Like her, they kicked off their shoes, dirtying their feet in the purple and yellow of the mural until the art was smudged into only vague shapes. The children tugged at my skirt, begging me to come dance with them. I held my hands cautiously out of their reach. "I don't dance," I told them. Disappointed, all of them left to dance anyway, all but the girl with red hair and blue eyes, whose name I learned was Alexa.

"Can you do my hair like that?" she wondered when all of the children had gone.

"I shouldn't," I sighed, thinking of a white streak running through her fiery braid. I didn't want my magic anywhere near her precious head.

"Oh." Dejectedly, she started shuffling her way over to where the other children played. I didn't want her to go.

"Do you want to see what I _can_ do?" I asked, stopping her in her tracks. She ran back over to me, grabbing my hand before I could hide it away. I hoped her parents wouldn't mind.

"Yes! Yes!" she cried. Slowly, I closed my hand over hers and led her over to where the dance took place. The dancers parted for us, whether out of fear or respect I couldn't be sure. I knelt down to Alexa's level, releasing her hand.

"Watch this," I murmured. I stood, lifted my skirt for easier movement, and stomped hard on the street, right at the center of the smeared mural. A sheet of ice spread out from under me, forming to the shape of Corona's sun. Past that, flowers of frost replaced the smudged violet ones. Alexa squealed in delight and ran around before I could warn her, and she promptly slipped and fell and cried. Adults came and scooped her up along with the other children, and the street began to clear, but not before the townspeople could shoot me angry, disappointed, and fearful looks. My shoulders drooped slightly, and I watched them leave me in loneliness, still trying to accept the emotion. A second layer of ice spread over the first one, and before I even thought to apologize for ruining my mother's fun, I snatched up my jacket and gloves and walked stiffly away.

I didn't know how long it was before I ended up by the docks. I was too caught up in my own self-pity. At least I had calmed down enough to stop leaving frost footprints in my wake. I finally quit my wandering and stared wistfully out at the fjord, memories of the morning reflected in its waves. I had stood there on a layer of ice that I created, that I _controlled_, laughing and having fun. Testing myself, I opened my palm again, and a snowflake flew from it and dissipated as I wished. I had plenty of control. I knew the secret: Love. Fear was my enemy, but I was _not afraid!_

Why was I so good at just screwing everything up? What kind of a queen could I be? Where was Anna when I needed her?

My worry overwhelming me. I slipped on my coat, and began pulling on my gloves. I was so distracted by this task that I did not notice the equally-absent minded traveler who abruptly interrupted my thoughts by bumping into me with his horse. I stumbled and fell towards the water, the one glove that I had not managed to get on flying from me. I caught myself with my bare hand, forming a quick layer of ice over a portion of the water that my hand slapped down on to stop my fall. I winced. Just because I made the ice didn't mean that falling on it was any less painful. My glove drifted off farther in the water. When I recovered, I could see where it floated in the waves.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" said the rider, leaping from his horse. I pushed myself up and was confronted by a gloved hand offered to me for assistance. I ignored it and stood on my own, albeit still over the water. Blinking away my cold response to the gesture, he returned his hand to his side. I frowned, looking over him. The man was obviously of some importance. Even in this heat, he wore his full regal ensemble, his gold-lined, white coat adorned with more medals than I wished to count. He had bright red hair, and his eyes - well, the only thing I noticed about them is that they were studying me, as well.

"My glove," I said simply, refusing to acknowledge his apology for no real reason, I guess. I just didn't like him, perhaps.

"Let me fetch it for you," he offered, still playing up the chivalry.

"No, no. I can get it myself," I said, turning away from him and never more glad in my life for the chance to look away from someone's face.

"But your dress! You'll be soaked!"

"And won't you be if you go out to get it instead?" I countered, continuing to walk away from him out over the water.

"Yes, but won't it seem terribly un-lady-like if you return home with a ruined dress and dripping everywhere? And how would that reflect on me standing next to you?"

"Oh, you intend to escort me back, do you?" I knelt down and plucked the soaked-through glove from the fjord. The man kept his eyes on me the entire time, glued to me so intently that he hadn't noticed me walking over magic ice this entire time.

"Of course. The least I can do after running into someone as beautiful as yourself with my horse is make sure you are safe and sound in your home." _Oh, and now he's a flirt. Wonderful._

I was now back where I started in front of him, staring up at his face from the fjord while he stared back. I rolled my eyes in annoyance (how's that for un-lady-like, huh?). "Thank you very much, but I think I can handle myself just fine." I gestured to the short path of ice that I had made, and while he paused to gawk, I took the opportunity to yank on the glove, frowning as it froze to stiffness. When I looked back up, the stranger was no longer there. I looked down and found him kneeling and looking up at me.

"I take it that you're the famed Princess Elsa of Arendelle?" he said slowly. I nodded. Famed? I guessed that word travelled fast. "A thousand apologies, milady." He bowed his head respectfully.

While I would admit that he was certainly very charming, I was still determined not to like him. Running someone over with a horse - princess or not - tended to make a negative first impression. "And you are?" I asked dryly.

He stood. "Prince Hans of the Southern Isles." He offered his hand to help me up the rocky bank and back onto the road, but the distance was short enough that I could still ignore his help and make my way just fine, thank you very much. Hurt, he let the hand drop.

"So, you're the representative they sent. Preparations of your room should be ready soon enough if you haven't already headed towards the castle. To be honest, we weren't expecting you for at least a few more hours."

"I was actually just about to take a stroll through the town, take a little tour of the kingdom. I don't suppose you could show me around." That grin of his was too much. It was slightly arrogant and strangely adorable. I was silent for a while, and he held it so long that I wondered if it could just freeze on his face.

"No. I must be getting back." Not to mention that I wasn't extremely popular with quite a few people at that moment.

"Another time, then. I intend to be staying for quite a while," he tried hopefully. I chose to ignore it.

"I look forward to seeing you at dinner tonight."

"And you as well." He held out his hand again. I could handle a simple handshake, so I placed my gloved hand in his (also gloved?) lightly, which was fortunate because almost immediately after, he turned mine over to press a kiss against it, at which point at snatched it back rudely. He huffed in annoyance but hid it behind that same frustrating smile.

He was a good actor with great patience. I would give him that.

Later that evening, I sat at the double-vanity that Anna and I usually shared, brushing back the loose strands of my hair and winding my braid into a simple bun for dinner. After all of the sweating and getting run over by horses, I needed to at least try and look presentable, even if Mother tried to keep these dinners a little less formal. Suddenly, there was a burst of light behind me, surprising me so much that I frosted over the mirror, but not before the flash's reflection left me momentarily blinded. The next thing I knew, I was being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal.

**(Yay, cliffhangers! I'm mean. I know. I do this to you after taking a month to update. Back to the story: I'm sure you're all wondering, "Did she seriously just throw Anna on a bus for this fic?" Yes. Yes, I did. She'll return, but we need more Elsa. There can always be more Elsa, and speaking of Elsa, she just can never catch a break, can she? Jeez, I hurt her in these stories almost as much as Jack. Still, here's a little bit for all of you Helsa shippers. Am I shipping Helsa? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out, which, I know, is very mean, considering how slowly I update this thing. I'm blaming AP tests on this one. Now, to answer a few questions in this already too-long AN: Yes, I will go into more of Jack and Rapunzel's pasts in this fic, and do you really think I'd bring up Dun'Broc and NOT have Merida? I'm not that mean (maybe) ;D . As always, please leave your thoughts in reviews, and never be afraid to message me!)**


	5. Chapter 5: A Snowglobe A Day

**Elsa**

I'm sure that under normal circumstances, magic portals could be considered fun, but the whole being shoved in a sack event was definitely not normal. (Normal? What is normal? What about my life could be considered normal?) The twisting, tossing, and turning that came with the ride, usually providing a rush, only served to make me sick, and I was relieved when my trip came to an end, even if the jolt upon hitting a hard floor was incredibly painful.

Cautiously, I poked my head out of the opening to the sack, only to come nose to nose with my sister. Anna squealed with delight and jumped back, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Yay! You're here! You're here!"

"Anna? What's going on?" I asked, trying to haul myself up, only to be lifted by the shoulders and set down roughly back on my feet. I whirled around to face Phil the Yeti and waved, remembering him from this Summer's little fiasco.

Anna ran up and hugged me. "Dad came up with this idea so that we could stay in touch while I'm gone. I just missed you so much already. Isn't it great?"

"Yes, Anna. I just _love_ being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal," I said sarcastically.

Anna laughed. "That was North's idea." She pointed to the larger man eating cookies by a fireplace. I scowled at North while he and Dad shared a fit of laughter.

"So, where am I, exactly?" I pushed loose strands of hair away from my face, frowning when I realized that my bun had completely come undone. I sighed and froze the strands back into their usual positions over my braid.

North came over and placed a hand on my shoulder, guiding me over to a railing. "Elsa, welcome to the North Pole!" he announced cheerfully, waving his hand over the general area of the workshop. I gaped in awe at the sight. Directly in front of me was a massive globe, lit up with tiny golden lights like a Christmas tree. Drifting all around it were strange toys that I could never have imagined, completely defying gravity and flashing neon colors. On the levels below, elves and Yetis (mostly Yetis) worked tirelessly to create toys of all shapes and sizes for the upcoming holiday.

"Whoa," I breathed.

Anna squeezed my arm. "I know, right? How amazing is this? Dad and I get to stay here while we're gone. Come on! I'll show you around!" She tugged on my arm, but I did not move.

"Anna, as great as this is, I need to get back."

"But you just got here," she pouted.

"I know, but Mother has this banquet planned for visiting dignitaries tonight, and I'm going to be late as it is, and-" _And there's this really annoying prince that I'm afraid won't leave me alone._

Anna put a warm hand on my shoulder. "Alright. I'll come and get you tomorrow."

"Don't be late."

I vehemently insisted that no sack was necessary for the return trip, and not a minute too soon, I was back inside my room. Mother knocked on the door just after the portal closed behind me. "Elsa, dear? Are you alright? We're waiting for you downstairs," she called.

"Just a minute!" With no time to smooth my hair, I hurriedly shoved on an old black headband to keep it all away from my face. Composing myself, I opened up the door.

"What took you so long?" Mother called, looking too worried for the casual question, and I remembered that I hadn't seen her since that afternoon, since I had run off after screwing everything up. Naturally, she would be worried. I smiled for her sake.

"Anna and Dad found a way to keep in touch via magic portal," I explained as we walked side by side down the arching hallway.

"Ah," she replied, laughing with me at the antics of our strange family. "I smoothed everything out in town," Mother told me. "Nobody's really mad at you. They're just..." She paused a moment to find the right word. "Wary. That's all."

"I understand."

"Elsa, are you doing alright? You know that you can talk to me." I looked down guiltily. I had shut out Mother all these years just as much as I had shut out Anna.

"I'm fine. Really, I am," I assured her as we reached the double doors of the dining hall. I did not say, _I am not afraid!_ I knew the question on the tip of her tongue, and I knew how every time I tried to answer it, something went wrong. I was thankful for Kai interrupting our conversation by opening the doors and announcing our presence to the guests.

"May I present Queen Rapunzel of Corona and Princess Elsa of Corona!" We both curtsied as we entered and took our seats - Mother's at the head of the table and mine just to her right. All of the representatives stood as we entered, some bowing as we passed. I caught the Prince's eye again, and he smiled charmingly at me. I looked away, keeping my usual frozen expression. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw the Prince frown at this. We all remained standing as Mother said a few words of welcome, mentioning how glad she was that they were all here and what a relief it was that the gates were finally open to the world. I saw many cast pointed glares my way, those who believed the story of my magic.

We were permitted to sit once the servants brought out tray after tray of food, dishes both native to Corona and to other countries to further the feeling of camaraderie. I sat poised in my chair, making small-talk when necessary, eating lightly, and committing the names of all those present to memory, as a princess should. I had to admit that I was very out of practice with all of this. Mother, too, but she was more personable than I. I couldn't help but fidget with my glove from time to time; it was still incredibly uncomfortable after falling into the fjord and being frozen immediately after. I smiled apologetically to those who noticed the habit, except to Prince Hans. It was his fault that it had fallen in, anyway.

I had been fortunate enough to not have to sit next to him during the whole event, but I really shouldn't have been surprised when he came up to me as we were retiring for the night, good feelings echoing off the high ceiling. He was still dressed in his high-collared, white uniform, despite the event's informal status. "I would like to thank the royal family of Corona for so graciously opening up their home for our stay," he said, bowing respectfully. I curtsied in response.

"You are very welcome."

He smiled at me and lowered his voice so that only I could hear. "And may I ask the princess when I should be expecting that tour?" I hated his smile and how his forwardness frustrated me. My hands felt cold, encased in their gloves.

"I have promised you nothing, and that is what you will receive," I answered. He placed a hand over his heart as if I had wounded him, but he still smiled.

"I am sorry that I have wasted your majesty's time." He nodded and walked away, and I found that I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The next morning, I was brought my tiara. Negotiations were more of a formal affair, so I wore my classic teal dress with the matching gloves and wove the tiara into an elegant bun. I strode down the hallways in full regal ensemble, magenta cape absent. I had lost it up on the North mountain long ago during a confrontation that I refused to think about. (I had also lost the tiara, but with it being such an important treasure, one exactly like it had been made upon my return.) Mother had waited for me outside of the conference room (we had so many rooms!), and we entered together.

I listened dutifully to the whole event, knowing that I would soon be negotiating on my own in Dun'Broch, but to be perfectly honest, I found the talk to be incredibly boring and could only imagine what surprises at the Pole that Anna had in store for me as soon as I was free to return to my room. We broke for lunch at noon and continued the talks for another hour or so before everyone was in agreement. Mother announced that final contracts would be drawn up within three days' time, and we were free to go. Again, Prince Hans sought me out as I was leaving for my bedroom. I quickened my pace, but he kept up easily.

"How are you today, milady?" he greeted as we ascended the great spiral staircase. Now, why in Moon's name did we need so many stairs?

"Well, as always." I did not return his greeting, courtesy be darned.

"Good." He said nothing else but still kept in step with me.

"I'm sorry, but is there something you wished to speak with me about, Prince Hans?" I asked tartly after we had gone several steps in silence.

"No, Princess. I just thought it polite to escort you. Although, I can't say I know where we are going. I'm still desperately trying to find my way around."

"I have guards for this, you know."

He laughed. "Then, they are doing a terrible job."

"I prefer to be alone," I warned as we reached my door. "Good day." I hurriedly disappeared into my room, standing on the other side of the door until I heard his footsteps vanish down the hallway. Did he have to insist on being so frustrating?

I didn't notice at first that Anna had already been standing in our room, waiting for me. "What was that about?" she inquired, noting my annoyed expression.

"A persistent prince from the Southern Isles, one of our guests, for the time being," I answered.

"Another courter?"

"Possibly."

"I want to meet him!"

"What? No!" I cried.

"Anyone who manages to get under your skin like this is worth meeting. You never even paid any attention to the other princes this Summer," she chuckled, running to the door. A blast of magic to the floor sent my sister skidding on ice until she careened into the wall.

"You're supposed to be on vacation, remember? You can't just show up like this," I reminded her.

Anna huffed and stood up, brushing off her green skirt. "Fine. How long is he staying?"

"A while, I fear. It seems that he, too, is on vacation here in Corona."

Anna took my hand, frowning when she grasped the glove. She shot me a knowing smile and yanked the gloves off before continuing. "Come on, then. Let's get your mind off of everything." Anna took a snowglobe from the folds of her dress, shook it, and threw it on the ground. Where it struck, I colorful vortex erupted, sucking the both of us in and spitting us out at the Pole.

Anna led me to an elevator that took us down through the levels of the workshop. On each floor there were rows and rows of worktables where Yetis built toys based off of designs carved roughly into ice, which admittedly, caught my attention more than the actual toys. Mindless of our feet, little elves scurried everywhere, crashing into things, falling off of things, breaking things and getting yelled at by Yetis. I laughed. Dad had often told us about how North just let the elves believe that they were a help. Above us, the glowing globe spun endlessly, but from where we stood, I could not pick out Corona among the lights.

Dad showed me into North's workshop when he wasn't looking. It became my favorite place at the Pole. It was cool and quiet with ice crawling artistically over the walls and ceiling. In a way, I was almost reminded of my ice palace. (Or those many, many times that I preferred not to think about when I had woken up from a Nightmare only to find my room half-encased in ice.) I found models of cars carved completely from ice sitting on his worktable. I tapped one experimentally and grinned when I found that it worked, only for that grin to fall suddenly as the car rolled completely off the bench and shattered on the ground.

Anna helped me shrug it off, and I came up with an idea that might make it up to North. With Anna giggling at my heels, I ran around the room, arms outstretched, building a fantastic course for the racecars that looped the entire room, even running up the walls and defying gravity at points. After that, Anna and I roasted marshmallows in the fireplace until it was very late and we were both yawning and leaning into each other. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I was waking up the next morning in my bed back in Corona, still fully dressed.

Mother was knocking on my door. "Elsa? Are you awake? You missed breakfast." I rubbed my eyes and opened the door for her, and after noting my tiredness and appearance, she asked simply, "Anna?" I nodded.

I chose to wear a simple purple and black ensemble that day with matching gloves, of course. I kept my hair up in its bun, trying to keep up good impressions for the visiting dignitaries. I had singing lessons that morning with one of my instructors. He was and old friend of Mother's and had a hook for a hand, but if he wasn't the best pianist in all of Corona then I was a talking snowman. Today, I was learning a brand new song, one composed specifically for me, but it was difficult and had a much higher range than I was used to. I was handling it just fine until _he _walked in right at the climax, startling me enough that I choked on the high E. The instructor stopped, and both of us turned to glare at Prince Hans for interrupting.

He stepped back nervously. "Sorry. I'm just a little lost. Again." I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance and turned to the instructor, asking if we could end the lesson a little early that day. He nodded and it took all my strength to beckon Prince Hans to follow me instead of dragging him roughly out, which probably would have only ended up freezing him from the contact, with how I felt that day. "Where are we going?" he asked, the only other sound besides my heels clicking sharply on the hard floor.

"Everywhere," I replied. "Since you're so insistent on me giving you a tour, I might as well get it out of the way in the hopes that you will finally leave me alone."

"Thank you, Princess, but don't think you'll get me out of your hair that easily," he said, grinning.

"Prince Hans, is that supposed to be some sort of threat?"

"No, milady. I was just thinking about how no one ever truly wants to be alone."

"Now you sound like Anna," I told him with a laugh.

"Anna?"

"_Princess_ Anna to you."

"Ah, your sister. Where is she, by the way? I heard that she was on vacation, but nobody ever mentioned where."

"Because it's none of your business," I snapped. "Why do you even care?"

"I only care because you seem to think so fondly of her. Have you two always been close?"

"Of course," I lied, keeping my face frozen, even though he was touching on subjects that normally would have resulted in all of the windows frosting over. _Don't let him in. Don't let him see._ "We're sisters, after all."

"Well, it's nice to know that at least some siblings know how to treat each other. I have twelve older brothers, you see. Three of them pretended that I didn't exist. Seriously. For _two years_."

I winced at the pain in his expression. His story hit too close to home for me. It stung. "That's awful," I commented. Prince Hans turned to me, smiling at the fact that he had finally caught my attention, but his eyes were still sad, tears welled up artistically in their corners. He ignored them and continued.

"You must miss your sister quite a lot," he remarked.

I let the emotion drain from my face. I was quite skilled at that. I didn't want to speak any more about Anna, about myself with this total stranger. "I know she's happy and fine, exploring the world for the first time in forever, and I'll be happy to hear about everything she's seen the next time I see her." With that, I remained determined to keep my mouth shut until we reached the starting point of our impromptu tour, no matter how much he pried.

"You've seen the banquet and the throne room. This is the ballroom," I pointed out as we passed the double doors, open while the servants polished the floor to perfection until it shone like ice in the light. I brought him past the suits of armor and out to the courtyard, the fountains having long since melted. Off to the side was the chapel, and we walked through the gardens. I actually got lost among the arbors several times. After all, I hadn't spent much of my isolation outside exploring what little land was allowed like Anna. I had always shut myself away in my room, studying geometry or writing apology letters to Anna that were never sent and were instead stored inside a special desk drawer that I used for nothing else.

Every time I got lost, Prince Hans would somehow find me, grinning in that frustrating way until I finally suggested that we head back inside, to which he agreed, and we met up with the others for a light lunch. Mother eyed the two of us walking into the banquet hall together and smiled at me as we took our regular seats. "So, that prince seems nice enough, doesn't he?" she murmured to me between sips of soup. "The one from the Southern Isles?"

"Mother, he is insufferable."

"So is your father."

"Mother!"

"All I'm saying is that I've never seen you spend time with others your age except for Kristoff and Anna."

"I was more or less forced into it," I grumbled.

After lunch, I showed the prince around the hallways, pointing out the different paths that led to balconies all around the higher levels. Finally, I brought him to the last stop on the tour. "And here is where we keep the crown jewels," I announced, entering the ornate room and nodding at the guards. Above, a single skylight sent a ray of sun directly on the gleaming crowns and tiaras. "These are mine and my sister's, and that one is my mother's." Prince Hans did not seem to notice those. He kept blinking at the last crown, almost looking confused. "That is the king's crown - my father's," I told him.

"Oh, right," he said, sounding somewhat distant.

"He never liked wearing them, though," I said, trying to bring him back to the conversation. Oh, how the tables had turned! Earlier he would have given anything for me to speak to him, and now his mental absence was unnerving me. This realization frustrated me more than anything.

"Seems like a waste," he muttered. "No disrespect to him, Princess, but for something crafted so beautifully, the least someone could do is put it to good use."

"Well, if you knew him, you might understand. Personally, I'm not a fan of my crown, either."

"You take after him, do you?" The way he looked at me when he said that...it was almost as if he knew something. I cleared my throat instead of answering, which he only seemed to take as confirmation.

"This concludes our tour." I walked swiftly out and headed directly to my room, knowing that Anna would be appearing any minute now. To my dismay, I heard another pair of footsteps following close behind my own. "That means you can quit following me, Prince Hans."

"Not until you give me a chance to thank you properly."

"You're welcome."

"Wait, no. That wasn't-"

"And if you ever wander around me claiming to be lost again, I will call for the guards to escort you to your destination," I threatened.

"Princess Elsa!" he entreated, but I had already reached my door, and had closed it before he could catch up. He knocked three times. "Princess?" I saw the door handle shake, but I had locked it. Annoyed by his persistence, I took off my gloves and froze the doorknob for good measure, and I couldn't help but smile when I heard his muffled yelp of surprise on the other side. "Fine. Good day," he said, finally getting the message.

Anna showed up in the middle of the ordeal. "Must you always treat your courters so coldly?"

"How else can I get them to leave me alone?"

"You don't have to be alone all the time, you know."

I started laughing very hard at this, much to Anna's confusion. "I know. I know. Now, where are we going today?"

"The Tooth Palace!"

I could not contain my squeal of excitement at that, and Anna jumped up and down with me before dragging me through the portal.

**(Okay, so not a lot happening in this chapter, I admit. It's pretty much a lot of Hans annoying Elsa, which is ridiculously fun to write. Okay, now that it's summer, my goal is to try and update at least once a week, but not starting just yet since I'll be leaving on a trip next week and won't be able to get online. Sorry! Please drop a review and let me know what you think so far!)**


End file.
